JP2001096860A - Image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image formation apparatus which is useful for an early settlement of an event of forgery committed by using the image formation apparatus used in a network. SOLUTION: In an image formation apparatus, printing data are inputted through a network. A first memory stores data to be printed by the image formation apparatus. A second memory reads out an information regarding a host unit from printing data inputted into an input device and stores the read-out information. Then, the data stored in the first memory and the second memory are added as trace information data to image data included in the printing data, and an image is formed on a paper.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a color printer,
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a color copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the field of forgery prevention of conventional image forming apparatuses, one method is to use banknotes, securities, traveler checks,
It stores all features of originals, such as checks and official documents, for which counterfeiting is to be prevented, and prohibits copying as a result of pattern matching. In another method, forgery copying itself cannot be prohibited, but a special code which is normally invisible is inserted into the copied copy itself. As a result, when forgery occurs, the manufacturer name, model name, serial number, date and time of copying, management card number, or a part of the printing device used for forgery copying from the paper are specified, and Use for early resolution.

[0003]

In order to prevent copying by detecting that a document to be prevented from being forged is copied by pattern matching, it is necessary to store the features of the document to be prevented from being forged. However, it is impossible to memorize all the features of the manuscripts to be prevented from being forged around the world due to the storage capacity, processing time, issuance of new bills and the like. In addition, the method of driving a special code into the copied copy is as follows:
Considering the case where the image forming apparatus is used on a network, the information at the time of image output alone is not sufficient for the early resolution of the case, and the computer name and user who instructed the printing are also added to the above data. Otherwise, the crime scene and the crime time cannot be identified.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus used on a network, which can help to solve a counterfeit case at an early stage even when used on a network.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: input means for inputting print data via a network; a first memory for storing data on image formation by the image forming apparatus; and input means. A second memory that extracts and stores information about the host from the print data input to the printer, and adds the data stored in the first memory and the second memory to the image data included in the print data as tracking information data. A tracking information adding unit, and forms an image on a sheet based on the image data output from the tracking information adding unit. Preferably, the image forming apparatus further includes an image reading unit that reads image data of the document and outputs the image data to the tracking information adding unit. The information stored in the second memory includes, for example, a host user name, a host IP address, a host name, or a host password.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference symbols indicate the same or equivalent ones. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a digital color copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The digital color copying machine is roughly divided into an image reader unit 100 for reading a document image and a printing unit 200 for reproducing an image read by the image reader unit 100. The configuration of the image reader unit 100 is the same as the conventional one. In the image reader unit 100, the scanner is a rod lens array 1 that collects reflected light from a document.
3 and a contact-type CC that converts the collected light into an electrical signal
A D color image sensor 14 is provided. Scanner 10
Is driven by the motor 11 when reading a document, moves in the direction of the arrow (sub-scanning direction), and scans the document placed on the platen 15. The image of the document surface irradiated by the exposure lamp 12 is photoelectrically converted by the image sensor 14. R, G, B obtained by the image sensor 14
The multi-valued electrical signals of the three colors are read by the read signal processing unit 20 to be yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K).
, And is stored in the synchronization buffer (FIFO memory) 30.

Next, in the printing section 200, the print head section 31 performs gradation correction (gamma correction) on the inputted gradation data in accordance with the gradation characteristics of the photosensitive member, and then performs the correction. The image data is D / A converted to generate a semiconductor laser drive signal, and the semiconductor laser is caused to emit light by the drive signal. By modulating the light emission intensity according to the gradation data,
The laser beam generated from the print head unit 31 is
Photoreceptor drum 41 rotated and driven via reflection mirror 39
Is exposed. The photoreceptor drum 41 is irradiated by an eraser lamp 42 before receiving exposure for each copy, and is uniformly charged by a charger 43. When exposure is performed in this state, an electrostatic latent image of the document is formed on the photosensitive drum 41. Only one of the cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toner developing units 45a to 45d is selected to develop the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 41.
On the other hand, the paper is fed from the paper cassette 50 and wound on the transfer drum 51. The developed toner image is
The image is transferred onto a sheet on the transfer drum 41 by the transfer charger 46. This printing process is repeated for the four colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. At this time, the scanner 10 repeats the scanning operation in synchronization with the operations of the photosensitive drum 41 and the transfer drum 51. afterwards,
The paper is separated from the transfer drum 51 by operating the separation claw 47, and is fixed through a fixing device 48.
The paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray 49.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the read signal processing section 20. The multi-valued electrical signals of the three colors r, g, and b read by the CCD image sensor 14 are first amplified in the analog processing unit 121, optimized, and then subjected to R / G conversion in the A / D conversion unit 122. , B, respectively. The digital signal output by the A / D conversion unit 122 is input to the shading correction unit 124 via the serial signal conversion unit 123. The shading correction unit 124 performs shading correction based on the RGB digital image data of the white plate read before scanning the original, and the data subjected to the shading correction is output to the reflectance / density conversion unit 126. Reflectance /
In the density conversion unit 126, the reflectance data R, G, B
The data is converted into 256 gray scale data DR, DG, D
Convert to B data. The obtained DR, DG, and DB data are output to the UCR / BP masking processing unit 127.

[0009] The UCR / BP masking processing unit 127
After the tracking information is added to the DR, DG, and DB data as described later, the same color as that of the original is reproduced on the paper in consideration of the reading characteristics of the CCD image sensor 14 and the adhesion characteristics of the toner to the paper. After performing a predetermined masking process as described above, the data values of C, M, and Y are removed from the black portion, and instead, black gradation data is added.
Outputs color data according to the printing process. UCR / BP
C, M, Y, K output from the masking processing unit 127
The data of any one of the colors
In, spatial filter processing such as smoothing and edge enhancement is performed. The variable magnification movement processing unit 129 includes the MTF correction unit 1
A predetermined zooming movement process is executed using the data from. The gamma correction unit 130 performs predetermined gradation correction on the input data, and outputs the data to the print head unit 31. Thereafter, the print head unit 31 performs D / A conversion of the input gradation data to generate a semiconductor laser drive signal, causes the semiconductor laser to emit light by this drive signal, and exposes the photosensitive drum 41. This is repeated for four printing colors.

[0010] Explaining the addition of the tracking information to the image data, the data processing section 131 stores the tracking information data (imagemaker's maker, model, serial number, management card number, date and time of copying, etc.) for image formation. First
It is stored in the memory 132. The UCR / BP masking processing unit 127 encrypts and adds the tracking information data obtained from the first memory 132 to the DR, DG, and DB data output from the reflectance / density conversion unit 126. The tracking information data is imprinted on the copied copy itself as a small special mark (encryption) that is normally invisible. Therefore, when forgery occurs, the encryption is read from the paper used for forgery, and the manufacturer name, model name, serial number, date and time of copying, management card number, etc. Some can be specified.

When connected to a network,
Host (computer 300) to interface 24
When a print instruction is input via the printer, the copier functions as a printer. At this time, instead of the processing from the CCD sensor 14 to the reflectance / density conversion unit 126 in the above description, the image data from the host (computer 300) instructing the printing is DR, DG, 256 grayscale data. The data is input to the UCR / BP masking processing unit 127 as DB data. In this case, data about the host taken out of the network (for example, the host name (computer name) that issued the print,
IP address, user, password, output date, file name, etc.) are stored in the second memory 133, and the UCR / B
The P masking processing unit 127 encrypts the data,
Along with the data in the first memory 132, it is added to the image data as tracking information data. Thus, when printing is instructed from the network to the image forming apparatus used on the network, the host, the user, etc., who instructed printing from the forged copy paper can also be specified. Therefore, from the tracking data,
The host side information such as the IP address and the output date can also be determined, which is useful for the early solution of forgery cases.

More specifically, when print data is sent from a host (computer 300) connected to a network, a print output file from the host includes various information on the host side in addition to image data. Is added. Additional data includes host name, IP address, user,
It includes the password, the date and time when the print output file was created, the date and time of the print instruction, the file name, and the like. Data processing unit 1
31 extracts necessary data from the above-mentioned additional data and stores it in the memory 133. The UCR / BP masking processing unit 127 encrypts the tracking information data obtained from the two tracking information memories 132 and 133, and performs DR, DG, D
Add to B data. Note that the data processing device 131
The level of the data of the tracking information to be added to the image data may be set based on the transmitted image data.

[0013]

According to the present invention, when an image forming apparatus is used on a network, information such as the name of the computer that instructed the printing and the user can be added to the conventional special encryption. From the paper
In addition to the manufacturer, model name, serial number, print date and time, management card number, and the like of the machine used as the printer, the name of the computer that issued the print, the name of the user, etc. For this reason, it is useful for an early solution to a forgery case using an image forming apparatus on a network.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a digital color copying machine.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a read signal processing unit in the digital color copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

127 UCR / BP masking processing unit, 131
Data processing unit, 132 first memory, 133
Second memory, 200 digital color copier main body, 300 computer.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/387 5C062 1/387 G06F 15/66 B 5C076 (72) Inventor Koji Yamamoto Osaka Prefecture 2-13-13 Azuchicho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Osaka International Building Minolta Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 2C061 AP01 AP04 AQ06 AR01 CL08 HH03 HJ06 HJ08 HK04 HN02 HN15 2C087 AB05 BB20 BC02 BC05 BD53 CB03 CB07 DA14 2H027 EJ08EJ02 Z07A07 AA01 AA19 BB04 LG07 LL05 NN18 NN19 5B057 AA11 BA11 CA19 CE08 CH11 5C062 AA05 AA13 AA35 AB22 AB42 AC04 AC24 AF12 AF14 BA00 5C076 AA14 BA03 BA04 BA06

Claims (6)

[Claims] An input unit for inputting print data via a network; a first memory for storing data on image formation; and a second memory for extracting and storing information about a host from the print data input to the input unit. 2 memory, and 1st memory and 2nd memory for the image data contained in the print data.
An image forming apparatus comprising: tracking information adding means for adding data stored in a memory as tracking information data; and forming an image on a sheet based on image data output from the tracking information adding means. And reading image data of the document.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an image reading unit that outputs the tracking information to the tracking information adding unit. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the second memory includes a host user name. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the second memory includes a host IP address. 5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the second memory includes a host name. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information stored in the second memory includes a host password.